Trunk-packing device.



No. 670,243. Patented Mar. l9, |90|.. C. A. NORTHAM.

TRUNK PACKING DEVICE.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1900.

(No Model.)

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INVENTOR 6. 4.2MZM

' A RNEY Urrn rains CAROLINE A. NORTHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRUNK-PACKING DEVICE.

STPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,243, dated March 19, 1901.

Application filed January 29, 1900. Serial No. 3,117. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAROLINE A. NORTHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 500 Madison avenue, borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in 'lrunk-Packing Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is in the nature of a device for packing garments, particularly womens clothes, in trunks, so that they will remain spread out and not be tumbled about and wrinkled when the trunk is turned over in handling or transporting it.

The invention consists, generally speaking,

of a light adjustable skeleton frame or partition to be fitted within the trunk and engaged removably with the inside thereof for placing horizontally upon each garment or layer of garments in the trunk, and thus holding them spread out as packed.

The invention also consists in a peculiar construct-ion of the packing frame or partition whereby its parts are adapted when removed from the trunk for convenient use as clothes-hangers.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I shall first describe in detail the mode in which I carry it into practice and then particularly claim the invention.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,

garments in place thus spread out While the trunk is being tumbled about in transportation, I employa light skeleton frame 3, preferably of stiff steel wire, having at its extremities points, prongs, or teeth 4 to engage and bite into the corresponding Walls of the trunk, as indicated in Fig. 1, and provided with means for adjusting and extending it horizontally to fit tightly in the trunk, of whatever size, and thus remain securely locked in place until released.

I prefer to make the frame 3 of two end bows 5, having the teeth 4 connected and extended, so as to engage the respective ends of the trunk by means of a longitudinal rod, consisting of two sections 6 and 7, which are rigidly connected by-a detachable joint 8, consisting of a sleeve fixed on one section receiving the abutting end of the other section and which sections slide lengthwise through and are held adjustably by screw-clamps 9 in bosses 10, fixed on the middle of the bows 5, so that the bows can be moved apart on the rod to securely engage the ends of the trunk and then locked in such expanded position by the screw-clamps 9. To hold the gar ments down between the ends of the opposite bows, I prefer to employ elastic ribbons or cords 11, attached to one end of each bow and having a hook 12 to engage the corresponding end of the opposite bow. By releasing the ribbons or cords 11 and the screwclamps 9 the entire device may be readily removed from within the trunk and the clothes unpacked. The rod-sections 6 and '7 then 'being unjointed each rod-section with its attached bow forms a convenient clothes-hanger, the rod-section of which is provided with a hook 13 for suspending it, and may be adjusted lengthwise in the bowto bring the hook close to the bow, as usual, and leave the other end of the rod projecting as a long handle for lifting the hanger and a garment thereon up to a high suspension-hook.

My invention thus makes a very simple, cheap, and convenient combination garment packing device and hanger.

It is evident that the construction of the packing-frame may be greatly varied from that here shown without departing from the boundaries of my invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention and the mode in which I practice the same, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A trunk-packing device consisting of bows having means to engage the opposite walls of I00 the trunk, a jointed sectional rod connecting and extending the bows and provided with hooks, and means for adjusting the rod-see tions lengthwise in their respective bows, whereby the bows may be extended to form an adjustable trunk device, and may also serve with the rod-sections as garment-hangers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the 17th day of January, 1900.

CAROLINE A. NORTHAM.

In presence of- DAVID G. RODE, CLARENCE L. BURGER. 

